Heuchera plant named ‘Georgia Peach’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct hybrid of  Heuchera  plant characterized by large leaves colored pink-orange shades in the spring and early summer changing to burgundy-pink shades in the fall and winter, strongly veiled foliage, cream colored flowers on reddish peduncles, excellent vigor, excellent tolerance to heat and humidity.

Botanical denomination: Heuchera hybrid.

Variety designation: ‘Georgia Peach’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera hybrid and given the cultivar name of ‘Georgia Peach’. Heuchera is in the family Saxifragaceae. Heuchera ‘Georgia Peach’ originated from a cross between Heuchera V3, a proprietary non commercial H. villosa hybrid, as the seed parent, and Heuchera 647-5, a proprietary non commercial plant, as the pollen parent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This new Heuchera is distinguished by:

-   -   1. Large leaves colored pink-orange shades in the spring and         early summer changing to burgundy-pink shades in the fall and         winter.     -   2. Strongly veiled foliage.     -   3. Cream colored flowers on reddish peduncles.     -   4. Excellent vigor.     -   5. Excellent tolerance to heat and humidity.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may change with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a one-year-old plant of Heuchera ‘Georgia Peach’ growing in the ground in high shade in the trial field in April in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 is the same plant in August shown next to a lime colored Heuchera.

FIG. 3 is the same plant in October.

FIG. 4 shows a close up of the inflorescence in April in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Heuchera cultivar based on observations taken in May of a two-year-old specimen growing in the ground in the trial bed under high shade and with added irrigation in the summer months in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.

-   Plant:     -   -   Form.—Basal rosette, herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.         -   Size.—20 cm tall from top of the foliage to the ground and             50 cm wide.         -   Habit.—Mounding.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Roots.—Fibrous, freely branching, fine, and white in color;             roots develop easily from cuttings. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Arrangement.—Rosette.         -   Shape.—Broadly ovate.         -   Lobing/division.—7 shallow lobes, the terminal is the             longest.         -   Venation.—Palmate.         -   Margins.—Crenate.         -   Apex.—Mucronulate.         -   Base.—Cordate, lobes sometimes overlapping at the base.         -   Blade size.—10 to 13 cm long and 9 to 12.5 cm wide.         -   Surface texture.—Glandular on both sides.         -   Texture.—Thin, leathery.         -   Petiole description.—15 to 22 cm long and 2 mm wide,             glandular hairs, closest to Greyed Purple 183C.         -   Leaf color.—Variable depending on season and age of the             leaf, veins with strong colors and between the veins             (interveinally) there is a heavy “silver” veil lightening             the leaf color; summer leaves Greyed Purple 185A on the             veins and closest to Greyed Purple 186A interveinally,             mature leaves are Greyed Purple 185A on veins and between             Greyed Red 182B and Greyed Purple 186C interveinally, older             leaves are Greyed Red 182A and closest to Greyed Red 182C             interveinally; mature leaves backside Greyed Purple 187C;             spring leaves topside Greyed Orange 169A to 170B on leaf             margins and veins, veil color closest to Greyed Red 182D and             lighter, back side Greyed Purple 187D; winter leaves have             more purple tones than summer leaves, topside veins closest             to Red Purple 59C and veil is between 202A and Greyed Purple             186A, back side Greyed Purple 187C. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Size.—6 cm wide and 17 cm long.         -   Type.—Thyrse.         -   Number of flowers per thyrse.—About 75 per thyrse.         -   Number of thyrse.—5 in spring bloom.         -   Peduncle.—Grows to 55 cm tall, 4 mm wide at base, between             Red Purple 59A and Greyed Purple 187A, prominent glandular             hairs, with 1 to 2 petiolate cauline leaves (ovate, blades 2             to 5 cm long and 1 to 4 cm wide with a lobed and incised             margin, between Red Purple 59A and Greyed Purple 187A).         -   Pedicel.—Variable in size, with glandular hairs, between Red             Purple 59A and Greyed Purple 187A.         -   Bloom period.—Late May to June in Canby, Oreg. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—3 mm wide and 4 mm long.         -   Description.—Glandular puberulent, ovoid.         -   Color.—Red Purple 59D. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—Perfect.         -   Shape.—Campanulate.         -   Size.—5 mm long and 4 mm wide.         -   Petal description.—5 in number, inconspicuous, 2.5 mm long,             spatulate, tip obtuse, margin entire, glandular on back side             only, White 155A on inside and White 155A tinged Red Purple             62D at the tip on the back side.         -   Calyx description.—Campanulate, 5 mm long and 4 mm wide,             with 5 lobes, divided ⅓ way to the base, glandular hairs,             tip acute, margin entire, White 155A tinged Red Purple 62C             on both sides, back side tips are Red Purple 71B.         -   Stamen description.—5 in number, filaments 3 mm long, White             155D, anthers sterile, 0.5 mm, Orange 26B.         -   Pistil description.—1, 2-beaked, 4 mm long, ovary 1 mm.             Yellow White 158A, style 3 mm long, White 155D.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Lastingness.—Each thyrse blooms for about 2 weeks on the             plant. -   Fruit:     -   -   Type.—Two beaked capsule.         -   Size.—3.5 mm deep by 5 mm wide.         -   Fertility.—Good.         -   Color.—Brown 200D. -   Seed:     -   -   Shape.—Linear.         -   Size.—2 mm long.         -   Color.—Black, RHS 202A. -   Pest and disease tolerance: Excellent disease resistance to powdery     mildew, the common problem of Heuchera. Susceptible to Heuchera rust     and root weevils.

COMPARISON TO SIMILAR HEUCHERA

Compared to the seed parent, V-3, the new hybrid has leaves that are in warm, bright shades of peach to burgundy rather than dull amber to olive green shades.

Compared to the pollen parent 647-5, the new hybrid has leaves that are large rather than medium in size and in shades of warm, bright peach to burgundy rather than rose purple.

Compared to Heuchera ‘Peach Flambé’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,195) the new variety has a much different leaf color, pale ale to tan to olive green with a heavy silver white veil compared to an amber to olive green tone. The leaves of the new variety are larger and unruffled. 

1. A new and distinct hybrid of Heuchera plant as herein illustrated and described. 